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CopBlocking Is as Scary as It Is Necessary

Have you ever copblocked? Seriously, have you? It’s scary. At least it is to me. I’ve done it dozens of times now, and the fear is there every time. Copblocking is filming the police–making your presence known–in any situation where you see police attempting to talk to, harass, kidnap or cage anyone. Basically, if the wig-wags are flashing, that’s the time for copblocking. And it scares me every time.

How could it not? I help edit submissions for CopBlock.org periodically, which means that in addition to my own encounters with the terrorists who call themselves “police,” I also read the true stories of others. I watch their videos. I know that costumed terrorists lurk within almost every square mile of urban America, and whether or not they’ll admit it aloud, they are, in fact, out to get me. It’s their job.

Today my partner and I were walking to McDonald’s to get some sweet WiFi. “Looks like we’ve got some road pirate activity here,” he said. I looked up from the dead grass that had been holding my attention, and sure enough, a road pirate vehicle was parked directly in the middle of the McDonald’s parking lot. Two (black) (male) teenagers were locked in the back of it. The vehicle that the teenagers had presumably been in was parked with its doors swung wide open.

My partner and I both carry cameras for this very reason. He also edits submissions for CopBlock.org, and is even more acutely aware than I of the extent of the American police state. The kind you don’t hear about on the mainstream news (or any news, really) because the victims are so fucking poor and disenfranchised that few people even know that they’re rotting in a cage unless someone submits a story about it.

We walked around the road pirate vehicle, keeping our distance, and filmed. The road pirate saw us, took out his phone, and called what turned out to be his friends. Within ten minutes, not one, but two more road pirate vehicles rolled into the parking lot, blocking in parked cars of McDonalds’ patrons.

The teenagers in the back of the road pirate vehicle looked at me. That look–the look of someone who knows they’re being recorded while held against their will–makes me feel bad. Because frequently, they look almost embarrassed. Embarrassed for being victims–it makes me feel like shit to see the embarrassment. So I gave them a peace sign and a small smile, as if to say, “I am here for you. I’m not filming you for kicks, but in case you need this footage. These guys are bastards, I know.”

The first road pirate got out of his vehicle, looked at us with an unfathomable face, and walked back to talk to the second road pirate. I heard him. He told his friend, “Yeah, these two people showed up, and they walked around the car, and they’re filming me.”

The second road pirate gave him a “Yeah, they’re uppity little slaves” look and shook his buddy’s hand. They smirked at each other in the fraternity that is the “thin blue line.” The first road pirate went back to his car to continue writing ransom notes for the two teenagers.

My heart was pounding the whole time. People get kidnapped and caged for filming police frequently, in case you didn’t know. And that demeanor you’re supposed to take with cops? The one where you don’t answer questions, or you just answer questions with more questions? I don’t have that demeanor perfected. Not even close. When an order is given to me, I still have to fight my instinct to obey. I hate it. I’m terrible with cops.

There was no way I was going to stand as close to the cops as my partner was. He seems to have no fear of terrorists and their cages. So I stayed back. During the hour that I filmed, I babbled to everyone who walked by, because I desperately wanted someone to stand by me and talk to me. To make it look to the cops like I wasn’t alone, so they’d be less likely to approach me. Loners are easy targets.

Two men took my babbling bait. Each of them stopped and talked to me for about 20 minutes. That really helped. And it just so happened that one of them had just spent four years in a cage for a victimless crime. No doubt the two teenagers were also being held hostage and were about to have their vehicle stolen for a victimless crime. Because I saw no body, no stolen property and no plaintiff claiming damages of any kind.

Eventually the teenagers’ mother or aunt or someone came and they were released to leave in her car. The teenagers’ vehicle was then delivered into the all-too-glad hands of a local towtruck driver, whose best customers are no doubt the police.

The point is, the scarier the situation is, the more need there is to film it. It’s scary because the actors involved are so rarely held accountable. It’s scary because this unaccountability gives them such immense power–fire power, caging power, court power, taxing power, spying power, and–remarkably–public approval power. It is this kind of perfect storm that brews the assaults and murders on peaceful people that happen literally every single day.

It is my selfish request that more people film the police. Because I am so intimidated during the experience. The more people stand near you, the less your heart pounds and the less your hands shake. And it makes for better footage not to have shaking hands. And the police may start to get used to it, and perhaps reconsider their career choice. And best case scenario? Your presence prevents a beating or even saves a life.

And those teenagers? As they sat in the back of their mom’s/aunt’s/guardian’s car, before driving away, one of them looked at me and gave me a thumbs-up.

Yes, it is an extremely unpleasant thing to have to do. I have been arrested for refusing to surrender a camera. For the next year or so, my family was a target of frequent harassment. But it ultimately led to improvements and police in our town no longer freak out when someone films them.

That is an important benefit that you point out. For example, up in Manchester, New Hampshire, the police employees are now considering it a matter of routine to be filmed whenever they come within a square mile of a main Free Stater hangout.

Amazingly I’ve not seen a situation where video seemed indicated. Mostly where I live I see cops writing citations for traffic violations. But I am certain that if the occasion arose I would be as fearful as anyone. I’ve seen too many videos of people being harassed or physically assaulted for nothing more than pointing a camera at one or more thugs. I am thankful for people with the courage to do it and post it.

It’s at the “routine traffic stop” that so many assaults and murders begin, though. It was a routine traffic stop that lead to my caging. It is a routine traffic stop that is the easiest way to get someone in a vulnerable position. It is important to film them, as well, because you never know when something is going to go from “routine” to “horrendous” without warning.

Amanda: The copblocking videos that I’ve seen, and admittedly its not a huge number, have been, well, cringeworthy. The quality of the videos is fine, but the person photographing and talking often comes off as rude and antagonistic. I’m not seeing how videos where the protagonist (the videographer) comes off like a jerk Is all that helpful in the long run. Maybe i’m just missing the point?

You don’t see the point of holding police accountable for their actions? You don’t understand the power of human consciousness? Of showing solidarity with victims? Of standing up to bullies? Of breaking the psychological trance of preditor and prey? Of reminding everyone involved, especially yourself, that the law is there to protect and serve the sovereigns of this land. These people are heroes. You appear to be on the wrong website.

Simon, your approach is too harsh. Chip even asked if he was missing the point. I hope you have it in your heart, next time, to defend good practices (as you have) in a more friendly way, like so:

Hi Chip,
Yes, you are missing a point. While it is important for people to see the videos, the most important aspect is simply creating an awareness in the police that they are being observed. When a cop is alone with his victim, he can do whatever he wants because he will always win in any contest between his claims and the claims of his victim. When you add a third party, the cop’s impunity is drastically reduced. When you add an objective recording device, it is nearly eliminated.
Even if you don’t have battery on your device, or a recording app, or even a device at all, just showing a police officer that he is being observed has a decent chance of making things better for his victim.

It’s a little like if we see someone abusing someone else – hitting, screaming, throwing stuff, or whatever. We tend to leave them alone unless the violence is severe, out of respect for the privacy of two people going through a rough time. But in any case where one of them is wearing a uniform identifying them as a beneficiary of the public’s (idiotic) respect for the use of violence, our tendency should be to observe, and observe as obviously as possible. We recognize that respect as idiotic, and the more aware these government employees are of people with that awareness, the better behaved they will be.

Thanks for the replies all. I’d like to reply to a few comments. First of course is Simon. In response to your commemt, of course I see the point in holding police or any other public servants accountable. My concern is for the big picture. Whether we like it or not, those of us who have a passion for liberty are pretty much in the minority. Part of our role as I see it is evangelization. I’m not seeing how a video where the protagonist is being rude or obnoxious achieves that end. Yeah, copblocking may be very good for the person who is at the receiving end of the police’s attention, but is it actually expanding liberty? Is it the best or even a good choice amongst the choices we have available to us? I’m not yet convinced given other options such as Open Carry or political action focused on reducing the number of police. Perhaps its a complimentary approach? Something I noted from the article was two people spent an hour filming. Two manhours spent filming. Was it worth it? Did it really impact the end result? I don’t pretend know but based on Dave’s comments I’m tending to think it was.

Dave, I think your answer was good and essentially answered my underlying question. Isn’t it amazing how people live up to their better natures…when they think/know they’re being watched?

Sarah and Rick, thanks for the kind words. And yes, I think I am in the right place even though my being at LM does take time away from the more direct action that I tend to prefer.